Christ the Redeemer

One of the main reasons we visited Brazil and an absolute must see while in South America was the stature of Christ the Redeemer. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.

Standing at over 30 metres (98ft) tall and overlooking the city of Rio it is one of the tallest statues in the world. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone – our friend Tim, an engineer and a concrete junky, would melt peering up at it . Designed by the engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, it was conceived in 1921, construction started in mid-1926 and was completed in 1931. The statue sits on top of Corcovado Mountain located in Tijuca National Park.

From the statue we had superb views of Sugar Loaf Mountain, downtown Rio and Rio’s beaches. It was, as expected, a truly magical experience and one we are unlikely to forget. Beneath the stature there’s a beautiful little church and one couldn’t visit without saying a few prayers.

Not only is Christ the Redeemer a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was on 7th July 2007 named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.